Control apparatus for liquid separators



May 1934- i B. E. MEURK 58,010

' CONTROL APPARATUS FOR LIQUID SEPARATORS Filed June 18, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WV/V/ 70 O l O EE/VGTEMFU/P/fl O aMO'I/VLW 7 y 1934- B. E. MEURK 1,958,010

CONTROL APPARATUS FOR LIQUID SEPARATORS Filed June 18. 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ma zmzz May 8, 1934. RK 1,958,010

CONTROL APPARATUS FOR LIQUID SEPARATORS Filed June 18, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 WMM Patented May g, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTROL APPARATUS FOR LIQUID SEPARATORS 11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in control apparatus for liquid separators. While not limited thereto the control apparatus herein described is particularly well suited for apparatus used for separating fuel oil from the bilge water or ballast water which accumulates in the ballast tanks on board ship.

In a copending application, Serial No. 407,247, filed November 14, 1929, I have described and n claimed an apparatus adapted to continuously separate one liquid from another in a multiplicity of separate stages. While the present invention is not limited thereto, it is particularly well suited for use in combination with the separator disclosed in said copending application.

The present invention will be fully apparent from the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be defined with particularity in the appended claims.

In the drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view showing a separator adapted to separate oil from water and having my novel control apparatus combined therewith;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section through an improved oil outlet control valve;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. l is a diagram of pump control apparatus and Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of a part thereof.

Fig. 6 is a detail View showing steam control means for actuating the oil outlet valve;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged longitudinal detail section of a frictionless steam control valve adapted to be actuated in response to movements of the float gauge shown in Fig. 6.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 10 repre- :sents the hull of a ship which is provided with the usual inner bottom ballast tanks 12 having a number of compartments in which ballast or bilge water accumulates. This water, it is well known, contains considerable fuel oil. It is wasteful to pump this oily Water overboard and when the ships are in harbor authorities prohibit the pumping overboard of oil contaminated water. I provide a separator indicated as a whole at 14, and pump the oily water to it by means of a ballast pump 16 which is connected by a pipe 18 having branches 20 communicating with the in teri'or of the separator. The separator is provided with a multiplicity of battles which are effective to separate the oil from the water in a continuous manner as the mixture progresses therethrough. The separator, itself is not claimed in this application and it will therefore be referred to merely incidentally herein. A complete disclosure may be had by referring to applicants copending application above identified.

The mixture of oil and water is supplied under pressure by means of the pump 16 and the separator has connected therewith a back pressure valve 22 which includes a spring 24 normally tending to close the valve. Under normal conditions the pressure within the separator is sufiicient to hold the valve unseated so that during operation the water is discharged overboard at a substantially uniform rate through a water outlet pipe 26.

The separator is so designed that the oil collects in a chamber 28. Within thischamber, I provide a float 30 which forms part of a so-called liquidometer. This float sinks in oil and is adapted to float in water. As the line of demarkation between oil and water varies within the separator, it is apparent, therefore that the float will be actuated. When this line of demark-ation reaches a predetermined point the float Working through gear sector 32 and gearing 34 moves a pointer 36 which operates over a suitable scale on the instrument to indicate to the eye the relative position of the line of demarkaa tion between oil and water. Connected with the gearing 34 there is an arm 38 forming part of a switch adapted to close a circuit across contacts 40 and 42 which are connected with circuit wires 4.4. These wires are connected with a source of electrical energy 46 and with the winding 48 of an elec'tro-magnetic valve 50. This valve controls a supply of steam or other suitable motive fluid which is supplied through pipe 52 to a cylinder 54 having a piston 56 movable therein, See Fig. 2.

When the line of demarkation between oil and water reaches a predetermined level within the separator the circuit across the contacts 40 and 42 will be broken, the electro-magnetic valve will be deenergized and the supply of steam or other fluid to the cylinder 54 will be cut off. At such time, a valve disc 57 will be seated by a spring 58. This will prevent the outflow of oil from the pipe 60 leading from the separator to the fuel oil filling line 62 forming part of the piping on board ship. When the line of demarkation between oil and water drops, the circuit will be closed across the contacts 40 and 42 and the electromagnetic valve will be energized thereby opening the supply of steam to the cylinder 54. The steam pressure will quickly move the piston 56. This will carry with it the piston rod '64 and through the slotted head 66 which engages a block 68 carried on a lever 70 will thereby rock the shaft '72. This shaft carries a pair of fingers '74 which engage the underside of a fiange 76 formed on a bushing 78. This bushing is slidably guided in a boss 80 forming part of a valve yoke 82. The upper portion of the bushing 78 is threaded internally for coaction with threads 84 formed on the valve spindle 86 which carries the valve disc 57 above referred to. The exterior of the bushing is threaded at the top for the reception of stop collars 88. The spring 58 surrounds the bushing 78 and is interposed between the fiange '76 and the underside of the boss 80 and thereby tends normally to hold the valve disc 57 on its seat. The valve stem, however, carries a hand wheel 92 which can be turned so as to permit manual actuation of the valve.

The separator is provided with a heater 94 adapted to induce a thermosyphon circulation of the mixed liquids through the separator and to augment the separating action.

Under some conditions, it is desirable to supply clean water to the separator, usually only when starting the separator or for flushing it out. For this purpose, I provide a water inlet pipe 96 having a manually actuated control valve 98 therein which controls communication with the fire water main 100 forming part of the ships piping which main connects with the usual ships fire pump 102 having a valved inlet pipe 104 extending through the side of the ship at any convenient point below the water line.

In commencing operation of the separator, the valve 98 is temporarily open to permit the fire pump to discharge sea water into the lower portion of the separator. This water will be expelled overboard through the back pressure valve 24, the spring of which is set to permit the valve to open at a pressure between twenty five to thirty five pounds. The air in the separating apparatus is expelled through a suitable vent pipe 106 connected at the top of the separator to an air chamber 108 as shown. As the air is graduallyexpelled through the vent the entire separator fills up with clean water, after which the vent is closed by a manipulation of the valve 110. Steam is then supplied to the heater 94 and also to suitable heating coils 112 located in the upper head of the separator. As the relatively clean water in the separator becomes heated up, the thermosyphon circulation induced by heater 94 will cause the oil sticking to the surfaces of the separator wall to gradually rise and collect in the upper separating chamber.

The pressure is sufiicient, at this time, to force some water out through the water outlet pipe 26. The water being pumped overboard is carefully observed to see whether or not it is entirely clean and free from contamination. If it is not clear, valve 98 is closed for a short interval of time to permit the thermosyphon circulation to move all oil to the top of the apparatus. The ballast pump 16 is then started slowly so as to draw water through pipe 1'? leading to the innerbottom ballast tanks or compartments 12 wherein the oily water ac- 01?, the separator is in condition for practically continuous separation of the oil from water pumped by the ballast pump 16. As the separation progresses and oil is collected in the upper chamber 28 of the separator, the operator will regulate the flow of fuel oil into the fuel oil filling line 62 by suitable manipulation of the hand wheel 92 which forms part of the automatic oil outlet valve. Due to the cellular construction of the inner-bottom of the ship the contamination of oil varies greatly while it is being pumped out.

In the beginning there is practically nothing but clean water with patches of heavy oil floating around that have been freed from the walls by the current of the water. But, as the line of demarkation between oil and water in the innerbottom tank approaches the bottom of the lightning holes 112 in the intercostal plates 114, the drainage flow into the pocket where the suction pipe is located changes very suddenly and, without warning the mixture becomes fuel oil contaminated with about 4% to 5% of water. It resembles a solid oil sludge when entering the separator. Therefore, the automatic control or regulating valve 57 is so designed that it instantly opens upon the closing of electric contacts 40 and 42.

When the float 3i), rapidly sinking, reaches a predetermined level in the oil collecting chamher, the super-atmospheric pres ure maintained within the separator will instantly drop due to free opening or" the valve disc 5'? and the back pressure valve 22 at the bottom of the separator which was set at about twenty five pounds, depending on the hydrostatic head between overboard discharge and the extreme height of oil within separator and piping system, will close in and hold the water in the separator thus preventing any oil from being expelled overboard, through the pipe 26.

After the height of the level in the innerbottoin tank has been decreased to below the bottom of the lightning holes 112, the rate of pumping is preferably slowed down as the drainage flow within the tank through the small iiniber holes 116 will not be rapid enough to maintain the high rate of pumping without air being drawn into the suction line. The pump 16, therefore, is slowed down to about of the capacity and I again will find a condition of contaminated wa-- ter containing oil in greater percentage and in a much finer emulsified condition than ever noted before on account of the surge through the limber holes 116 within the honeycornbed structure of the innerbottom ballast tank. It is advisable at this point to start the pump 102 drawing clean water from the sea and admit this water into the lower head of the separator the same as when starting the system. The overboard discharge should be carefully observed and the pumping rate so controlled that only clean water without any contamination will be expelled overboard.

When the ballast compartments within the ship are empty and the suction to the pump is broken repeatedly by air, the automatic control valve 57 will always take care of any air bound condition and will open and close repeatedly to maintain the separator in the correct condition.

In stopping the process of separation, the ballast pump 16 which draws from the compartment in the ship handling the contaminated water should be stopped first and the pump 102 drawing from the sea should remain running. Such operation will allow the accumulated oil within the separator to be gradually worked out through the vent 106 from the air chamber which is connected with one of the air vent pipes from one of the fuel oil storage tanks in the ship. Or alternatively the automatic valve 57 can be worked by hand and the oil remaining transferred into the fuel oil filling line 62 of the ship. When the vent pipe on the top of the air chamber indicates water the ballast pump 16 should be stopped and the process of separation is finished.

At its lower end the separator has a circular baffie 93 which forms a small circular passage so that the clear water which is pumped in will circulate around this baffle before being expelled overboard through the back pressure valve 22. During the process of filling the separator, any oil which has collected in the bottom will rise to the top of the separator and particularly so after the steam has been turned on to the heater 94 inside the helical bafiie 95. The thermospyhon action will at once accelerate circulation through the separator and the oil sticking to the metal surfaces will soon rise to the top, thus the separator will be ready to handle the oily water pumped at a very slow rate which can be gradually increased until full capacity is obtained.

The float 36 is so balanced that it will barely maintain its buoyancy in water (specific gravity 1.00) and it will sink in oil of about specific gravity of .995. The gauge pointer 36 indicates, on a suitable dial located outside the separator, the location of the line of demarkation of oil and water inside the separator. The sinking movement or" the float in oil causes the switch to close a circuit through the electromagnetic steam valve 50 and a rising of the line of demarkation between the oil and water, buoys up the float 30 and breaks the circuit when a predetermined level is reached whereupon-the spring 58 forces the valve disc 57 to its seat and thus prevents the undesired discharge of water into the oil line 62. As the valve stem 86 and disc 57 moves down the piston 56 is forced up by the arm '70 and during the movement any pocketed steam in the upper part of the cylinder can escape through a bleed port 59 formed in the piston 56 and escape to atmosphere through a suitable vent pipe 61.

The upper chamber of the cylinder 54 serves as a dash-pot to cushion the action of the piston when the spring suddenly tends to close the valve.

The automatic valve 5'7 can be actuated manually by manipulation of the hand wheel 92 and it can be set to suit the requirements of the separator for any particular interval during the operation of the separator. I

In Figs. 4 and 5, I have illustrated means which are operative to automatically control the speed of the pump 16 which supplies the mixture of oil and water to the separator. This apparatus includes sampling devices adapted to be supplied with a mixture from a predetermined zone of the separator. Normally, when proper separation of oil and water is being effected, certain electrical circuits will be maintained through the control apparatus. As long as these circuits are maintained an electrically operated valve 208 controlling the supply of steam to the pump 16 will be opened. When the separating action falls below a predetermined point, the presence of oil in'the apparatus will interrupt the circuit. This interruption will energize the electrically operated steam control valve which will close and the supply of steam will flow to the pump through a by-pass of restricted area and thereby decrease the speed of the pump. This will slow up the flow through the separator so that complete separation will be secured. Referring to this apparatus in detail, 114 represents the sampling device as a whole. This is connected by means of a pipe 116 which communicates with a zone of the separator at a predetermined level where it is intended that there shall be a practically complete separation of oil from water. However, in practice, at times there will be a variation. Therefore, at times the fluid flowing through the pipe 116 will consist of a mixture of oil and water. This mixture will flow to the chamber 118 of a cylinder 120. In this chamber, the water will travel toward the bottom and the oil will rise toward the top.

A tube 122 extends lengthwise of the casing and has a number of holes 124 to receive the down-flowing water. The emulsion of oil and water will travel upwardly through ports 126 in the tube 122 which are located above a plug 128 in the upper end of the tube. This emulsion will travel through the center aperture 130 in a plug 132 which is insulated from the tube 120 and other metallic parts by a perforated gasket 134-. Another plug 136 provided with a central aperture 138 and radiating ports 140 is similarly insulated from the metallic parts by gasket 142. A tube of glass or other insulating material 144 surrounds the plugs 132 and 136 and is adapted to provide a chamber 146 between the two plugs. The plugs are electrically connected by means of wires 182 and 184 to a pump control unit indicated as a whole at 152. The plugs 132 and 136 are held in assembled relationship by bolts 154 which pass through a disc 156, and a flange 160 secured to the upper end of the tube 120. A pipe 162 is secured in the center of the disc 156 and provides communication with the chamber 146 through the plug 136. This pipe communicates with a valve 164 which in turn connects with a pipe 166 which empties into a funnel 168 leading to an overflow pipe 170. At the bottom of the tube 126 there is a pipe 172 having a valve 174 therein which also empties into the funnel 168. By manipulation of the valves 164 and 174, adjustments can be made so that clean water is normally discharged through the pipe 172 at the lower end of the tube 120 and a mixture of oil and water is discharged from the pipe 166 during the normal operation of the main separator.

If oily water being pumped into the main separator at normal capacity suddenly becomes so finely emulsified that it cannot be separated in the time allowed without contaminating the overboard discharge, the sample mixture supplied to the tube 120 through the pipe 116 at once becomes contaminated with fuel oil. The mixture then flowing through the chamber 146 located between the terminal plugs 132 and 138 will then contain so much oil that the voltage of this electric circuit between said terminal plugs will drop. The voltage drop in this circuit will deenergize a relay 176 (Fig. 4). This relay is connected across the supply lines 1'78 and 180 by wires 182 and 184. A high resistance coil 186 is connected in this circuit so that the electrolysis in the liquid in the chamber 146 between the two terminal plugs will be practically negligible. There is also an adjustable resistance 187 and a switch 189 that can short circuit the resistance 187. This arrangement allows me to use a very s'ensitiverel'ay 1'76 which can nevertheless operate at the ordinary voltage supplied to the feed buses 178 and 180 of the ship. The relay 1'76 when energized opens a circuit across contacts 188 and 190 connected with wires 192 and 194, which is normally closed by means of a spring 195, thus controlling the circuit from the power supply buses 178 and 180. The switch 196 in turn cooperates with contacts 198 and 200. Contact 198 conn cts by wire 202 with the supply bus 178 and contact 200 connects by wire 204 with a solenoid 206 which when en ergized closes a valve 208 in the steam supply pipe 210. The solenoid is connected by wire 212 with the supply bus 180. Thus so long as the magnet of switch 196 is energized the solenoid 206 will also be energized. This condition will close off the supply of steam by way of valve 208 and only limit the supply to by-pass pipe 214 to the pump 16 which forces the bilge water to the main separator.

The area or" the by-pass connection 214 is very much smaller than the area of pipe 210. Thus when the valve 208 is closed the supply of steam to the pump 16 will be materially diminished. This will cut down its speed. The steam supply pipe for the pump also carries a manually operable valve 215.

In a normal operation of this pump control apparatus, it will be understood that there will be a sufiicient flow of water and oil through the main separator to the device 114 to ensure an electric current will flow between the terminal plugs 132 and 136. Upon a sudden change, an increase in the percentage of oil flowing through the chamber 146 will interrupt the current supplied to the relay 176. This will close the circuit across contacts 188 and 190. This in turn will energize the switch 196 which in turn will energize solenoid 206 and cause the valve 208 to close. Upon closing the valve 208, the supply of steam to the pump 16 will be through the by-pass 214 of the restricted area, thus materially slowing down the pump. When the supply pump to the separator has thus been slowed down for a short interval, the separator will have time to effect a complete separation of oil from water. Then the mixture supplied to the chamber 146 will be of such electrical conductivity that the circuit will be established and the solenoid valve will be again opened. This will automatically speed up the pump so that the normal rate of separation can be maintained.

Due to explosive gas mixtures on oil tankers electric connections may not be desirable in the pump room and, therefore, in some cases a steam control means 300 shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is furnished to actuate the automatic valve 57. This control means includes a frictionless floating sleeve valve 302, which is responsive to movements of a small plunger 304 actuated by the float gauge 30.

The sleeve valve 302 consists of a pipe having plugs 306 in each end and is formed with upper and lower ports 308 and 310. The valve is yieldingly held in the upper position within the chamber 311 by means of a spring 312. A steam inlet 314 is located between the two ports when the valve is in the top position. A steam outlet 52 is below the lower port of the sleeve valve in a position so that when the sleeve valve is forced down and the striking lugs 307 and 309 at the bottom are in contact the two ports 308 and 310 in the valve will line up with steam inlet 314 and pipe 52, thus forming a continuous passage for the steam. The sleeve valve is loosely fitted in the chamber 319 so that a steam leakage exists towards each end (top and bottom) and free out-- lets 318 and 320 to the atmosphere are provided for this vapor leak. 'At the top, however, the leakage is occasionally shut off by the plunger 304 which is connected to the float gauge 30.

When the small plunger 304 moves down and shuts off the vapor leak 318, a steam pressure builds up at the top of the sleeve valve and the latter acts as a piston moving downward, until the striking lugs 30'? and 309 contact. Thus, the steam has a free passage from pipe 314 to pipe 52, through the sleeve valve.

The free flow of steam causes piston 56, Fig. 2, to move down and valve 57 to open, and when the plunger 304 rises so that the vapor leak at the top of the sleeve valve is vented to the atmosphere the sleeve valve will immediately rise until it finds the top position and the steam flow through the sleeve valve is shut off. The steam entrained in the pipe 52 between the actuating sleeve valve and automatic valve 5'7 will be instantly bled to the atmosphere through the small port 59 in piston 56 and also through the vapor leak port 320 at the bottom of the housing for the sleeve valve. Thus, the spring 58 will be free to operate and close the valve 57.

While I have described quite specifically the details of the embodiments of the invention herein illustrated it is not to be construed that I am limited thereto since various changes in arrangement and a substitution of equivalents may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a pressure separator for liquids, a pump connected therewith, a back pressure valve normally controlling the outflow of water and having a yielding means tending to close it, an outlet valve body connected to the upper part of the separator and having a valve disc therein, a spindle secured to said disc, a carrier for the spindle, yielding means acting through said carrier and tending to close the valve disc, a fluid actuated piston operatively connected with said carrier and adapted to open the valve disc, an electro-magnetic valve controlling the movement to said piston, a switch in circuit with a source of electrical energy in said electromagnetic valve and means responsive to variations in the lines of demarkation between oil and water in the separator, for actuating said switch, said spindle being manually adjustable relatively to said carrier.

2. In combination with a separator for oil and water, means movable in response to a change in level of the line of demarkation between said liquid, a valve normally controlling the outflow of oil from the separator, a spring tending normally to close said valve and electrically controlled apparatus responsive to movements of the first mentioned means, said electric control apparatus being operative to introduce a source or" power to actuate said valve, said valve having adjusting means for varying the setting thereof relatively to the spring.

3. In combination with a separator for oil and water, means movable in response to a change in level of the line of demarkation between said liquids, a valve normally controlling the outflow of oil from the separator, means tending normally to close said valve means for manually adjusting the setting of the valve relatively to said closing means, and a steam control apparatus responsive to movements of the first mentioned means, said steam control apparatus being operative to introduce a source of power to actuate said valve.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a float, a plunger operatively controlled thereby, a steam control valve including a casing having a piston valve freely slidable therein, a port in said casing adapted to be opened and closed by said plunger, said piston valve having spaced ports therein, steam pipes connected with said casing, said piston valve loosely fitting within the casing so as to permit a pressure to build up on one side of the piston valve and thus force the latter to a point where the'ports therein are in line with said steam pipes, and yielding means tending to move the piston valve to a position where said ports are out of alignment with said pipes.

5. In an apparatus of the character described a float actuated plunger, a valve casing having a port adapted to be opened and closed by said plunger, said casing having a chamber therein, a piston valve of smaller diameter than said chamher so as to permit a leakage between walls of the piston valve and the inner surface of the chamber, said piston valve comprising a tubular member closed at the ends and having spaced ports, steam pipes entering said casing and communicating with the chamber therein, the spacing of said pipes corresponding to that of the spacing of said ports, means tending to press said piston valve to a position where its ports are out of alignment with said pipes, and means limiting the movement of said piston valve within said chamber.

6. In combination with a separator for liquids, means arranged to automatically cut off the outflow of one of the liquids when the line of demarkation between them reaches a predetermined level, a pump for normally forcing a mixture of liquids to the separator, and means responsive to changes in the degree of separation efiected by the separator for controlling the speed of said pump.

7. In combination with a separator for liquids, means arranged to automatically cut off the outflow of one of the liquids when the line of demarkation between them reaches a predetermined level, a pump for normally forcing a mixture of liquids to the separator, and electrically actuated means responsive to changes in the degree of separation effected by the separator for controlling the speed of said pump.

8. In combination with a separator for liquids, a pump for normally forcing a mixture of liquids to the separator and means responsive to changes in the degree of separation effected by the separator for automatically controlling the speed or the pump.

9. In combination with a separator adapted to separate oil from water, a pump adapted to normally supply the mixture to the separator, a valve controlling the outflow of oil, means for automatically actuating the valve when the oil reaches a predetermined level in the separator, a valve normally controlling the outflow of water from the separator, a motive fluid supply pipe connected with said pump, and means responsive to changes in the degree of separation effected by the separator for controlling the speed of said pump.

10. In combination with a separator for liquids, means arranged to automatically cut ofi the outflow of one of the liquids when the line of demarkation between them reaches a predetermined level, a pump for normally forcing a mixture of liquids to the separator, means for withdrawing a sample of liquid from the separator and means responsive to changes of the electrical conductivity of said sample for controlling the speed of said pump.

11. In combination with a separator for liquids, a pump for normally forcing a mixture of liquids to the separator, a steam supply pipe communicating with said pump, an electrically actuated valve in said supply pipe, a by-pass around said valve, means for withdrawing a sample of liquid responsive to changes in the electrical conductivity of said sample controlling the operation or" said electrically actuated valve.

BENGT E. MEURK.

from the separator, and means 

